PAPER ASSIGNMENT

CIVIL WAR, COMMONWEALTH, AND RESTORATION PERIODES

By 5th group of Introduction to British Literature

Members:

Aisha Adha (1225030009)

Baiq Jasnieta Anjani Putri (1225030034)

Cici Nurhazirah (1225030041)

ENGLISH LITERATURE DEPARTMENT

FACULTY OF ADAB AND HUMANITIES

STATE ISLAMIC UNIVERSITY SUNAN GUNUNG DJATI

BANDUNG

2022
 TABLE OF CONTENT

TABLE OF CONTENT..........................................................................................I
CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION...........................................................................1
1. Background...................................................................................................1
CHAPTER II DISCUSSION.................................................................................2
1. Civil War and Commonwealth Periods (1620-1660)....................................2
2. Restoration Periods (1660 - 1685)................................................................7
3. Augustus Periods (1700-1750)......................................................................9
CHAPTER III CONCLUSION..........................................................................11
1. Conclusion...................................................................................................11
REFERENCES.....................................................................................................12

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 CHAPTER I
INTRODUCTION

1. Background
Literary works do not exist by themselves. Before being famous and being
remembered by many people, from the community around where you live, to the
world community, a literary work must go through a process of literary
development. Literature developed depending on the era. Even the authorship
style of a literary work can depend on the social and cultural background of the
people at that time.

In this paper, we will discuss several literary works that developed during the civil
war, commonwealth, and restoration periods. It also contains the reasons or causes
for the existence of a style of literary writing that was popular at that time.

The existence of this paper is expected to be a reference for readers in

understanding the development of English literature during the civil war,
commonwealth, and restoration.

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 CHAPTER II
DISCUSSION

1. Civil War and Commonwealth Periods (1620-1660)

The Puritan period was a time of extreme Protestant (Puritan) agitation against the
king (James I, Charles I) which culminated in civil war (1642-1646, 1648). The
civil war was won by the Puritans (parliament), and the monarchy was taken by
the Puritans who then turned it into a republic under Oliver Cromwell.

The period of Puritan rule also produced a large number of literary works (poetry,
prose), but dramatic art could not develop because it was prohibited by the
authorities. Drama was considered a hotbed of vice by the Puritan rulers.
Dramatic arts reappeared in English literature in the following period
(Restoration).

Puritan literature was gloomy, pessimistic and serious. The literature of the
Puritan period lost its romantic fervor, but was more critical and intellectual (more
thought-provoking than feeling)

A. Metaphysical Poetry

The word metaphysical is used to describe a concept in literature in which things

are defined by something non-physical. Metaphysical writing is concerned with
intangible experiences and feelings.

During this period, the poets relaxed their previously strict use of meter and
explored new ideas. John Donne is the best-known of the metaphysical poets.

The themes that are most common to metaphysical poetry are love/lust, religion,
and morality. Some of the authors who explored these themes were John Donne,
George Herbert, Andrew Marvell, and Henry Vaughan.

 The Good-Morrow (Jhon Donne)

'The Good-Morrow' by John Donne was published in 1633 in his posthumous

collection Songs and Sonnets. The poem is generally considered to be one of

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Donne's first. It has also been categorized as a sonnet even though it stretches
to twenty-one lines rather than the traditional fourteen. The poem is divided
into three sets of seven lines that conform to a rhyming pattern of ababccc.

This is a very unique pattern of rhythm that is only made more interesting by
the varying pattern of the meter. The majority of the lines contain ten
syllables but each stanza ends with a line of twelve syllables. This variation is
likely done to maintain a reader's engagement with both the narrative and the
text itself.

(First stanza of The Good-Morrow by Jhon Donne)

It is also interesting to note how the stanzas are divided within the seven
lines. The first four lines introduce something about the speaker's love. While
the next three reflect more deeply on the topic and sometimes provide an
answer to a previously posed question.

The poem begins with the speaker noting how his life, and his lover's, did not
truly begin until they met. Up until they came together they were like children
suckling from their mother's breasts. He knows now that any pleasure he had
previously was fake. His current love is the only real thing he has ever
experienced.

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 In the next stanza, he describes how there is no way for their love to fail
because it controls everything he sees. His whole life is driven by it, therefore
he has no reason to want anything outside of their small bedroom. The poem
concludes with the speaker stating that their love is balanced like a healthy
body. Their emotional and physical states are connected so deeply that
nothing can go wrong.

B. Cavaliers Poetry

The Cavalier or Royalist poets, loyal followers of King Charles I, possessed a

different spirit from the metaphysical poets (John Donne et al). They loved life
and worldly pleasures, and were not so fanatical about religion. Their attitude
towards life can be compared to that of the Italian Renaissance with its motto
“Carpe Diem” or “Catch the Day”, which means have fun while you live, because
tomorrow you may die.” (make pleasure while you are still alive, tomorrow you
may be dead). Their poems are usually lyrical, and their themes are expressions of
their love of life, and their sadness that it is so short.

Cavallier's prominent poets include Robert Herrick (1591-1674) with his poems
To the Virgin to Make Much of Time, To Enjoy the Time, To Daffodil, Thomas
Carew (1595-1639) with his poem To His Mistress in Absence, and Richard
Levelace (1618-1658) with his poem To Althea from Prison.

 The Argument of His book (Robert Herrick)

“The Argument of His Book” appeared in Robert Herrick’s poetry collection

Hesperides published in 1648.

Carol Rumens notes in her Guardian article, “[i]t's the opening poem of
Herrick's only collection, Hesperides, and summarises [sic] some of its topics.
The argument signifies 'theme' or 'contents' and is not a defense [sic]". The
speaker of the poem lists a number of different topics to serve as subjects for the
various poems in Hesperides. The repetition of “I sing” and “I write”
emphasizes the creative abilities of the speaker, as singing and writing are
considered artistic expressions.
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 By listing all the different topics about which they sing and write, the speakers
demonstrate their imaginative prowess. On one hand, they can write about
nature: “brooks” (Line 1); “blossoms” (Line 1); "birds" (Line 1); “bowers”
(Line 1); “flowers” (Line 2); “dews” (Line 7); “rain: (Line 7); “roses” (Line 10);
“lilies” (Line 10); groves (Line 11); and “twilight” (Line 11). They can sing
about celebrations and relationships: “May-poles” (Line 3); “hock-carts” (Line
3); “wassails” (Line 3); “wakes” (Line 3); “bridegrooms” (Line 4); “brides”
(Line 4); “bridal-cakes” (Line 4); youth (Line 5); and “love” (Line 4). They also
like to detail thoughts about luxury items or trade goods: “balm” (Line 8), “oil”
(Line 8), “spice” (Line 8); “ambergris” (Line 8). They can weave both Christian
and personified/mythological beings and places into their text: “the court of
Mab” (Line 12); “the fairy king” (Line 12); “Time's trans-shifting” (Line 9);
“Hell” (Line 13) and “Heaven” (Line 14).

C. Roundheads (Pastoral) Poetry

One of the most prominent Roundheads poets was John Milton (1608-1674).
Besides being a poet, he also served as Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs to

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Oliver Cromwell. Milton was brought up according to Roundheads teachings and
from childhood was fond of music, poetry and beauty. He had the spirit of the
Renaissance and was very devout.

 L’Allegro and Il Penseroso (Jhon Milton)

Milton studied at Cambridge and after graduating he lived with his parents in
Horton for a time. During his stay at Horton, he wrote “L'Allegro” and
“IL:Pensoroso” lyrical verses describing happy humans (life during the day)
and humans who are melancholic or brooding (life at night), as well as “Lycides
”- a pastoral elegy about his death. In this elegy Milton denounces clergymen
who are corrupt and lack spirituality.

Speaker or narrator, and point of view of this poem is a person, perhaps a

shepherd, dedicated to living a life of pleasure.

(First ten lines of L’Allegro by Jhon Milton)

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 (First ten lines of Il Penseroso by Jhon Milton)

Both “L'Allegro” and Il Penseroso” begin with ten-line introductions in which

the rhyme scheme (abbacddeec) resembles the Italian sonnet (abbaabbacdeede),
and the line lengths (alternating between 6 and 10 syllables) resemble the Italian
canzone (alternating between 7 and 11 syllables).

2. Restoration Periods (1660 - 1685)

The Restoration period began after the death of Oliver Cromwell, the leader of the
England Republic. The word "Restoration" means recovered the monarchical rule
after 11 years of puritanical rule.

Oliver Cromwell retrieved by his son, Richard Cromwell. He does not have skill
to rule like his father. Thus, chaos ensues in the entire England. Besides that, the
people of England are bored led by the puritans who levied high taxes, strict
morality, and closure of all theatres.

To quell the ensuing chaos, General Monk seized power without bloodshed. A
new parliament was then formed through free elections. In 1660 the parliament
summoned Charles II to the vacant throne.

In the first 10 years of Charles II's reign, England experienced a period of calm.
But this did not continue because Charles II was an admirer of Louis XIV of

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France. He wanted the absolute monarch model of government and the Catholic
religion to be implemented in England.

To realise his ambition, Charles II pitted competing groups against each other.
These groups were: 1) The "squires" or "gentry" (landlords); 2) Anglicans; 3)
Merchants and manufacturers; 4) Dissenters; 5) Catholics.

In the parliamentary elections of 1661, the squires and Anglicans gained the most
votes. The parliament was named the "Cavalier Parliament". Through their power
in parliament, the squires and Anglicans defended their interests and oppressed
other groups.

Charles II also secretly liaised with Louis XIV in France for help. Louis XIV
welcomed the relationship. As a first step, France planned to subjugate the
Netherlands because it was one of the richest trading countries in Europe.

Later, France asked England for help to fight the Dutch. For about two years
(1665-1667) there was a naval war between England and the Netherlands. In the
battle, the English suffered a heavy blow because the Dutch fleet managed to
enter the Thames River and seize English ships that were at anchor.

Before that, England also experienced the Great Plague and the Great Fire in
London. These events aroused parliamentary suspicion of Charles II, and
demanded to scrutinise the financial expenditure obtained from taxes.

Charles II realised parliament's suspicion of him. Therefore, he postponed his

plans and tried to approach and seek parliamentary support.

In later developments, political figures and influential groups began to group

themselves into two competing parties. The group that supported the king and the
Anglican Church was called "Tory", while the group that wanted a constitutional
monarchy with a Protestant king and tolerated dissenters was called "Whig". The
Tory party consisted of aristocrats, landlords, and Anglican clergy. The Whig
party consisted of middle-class businessmen and dissenters.

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3. Augustus Periods (1700-1750)
The Augustan Age was a period during the first half of the 18th century in
England. Poets during this period created verse inspired by authors like Virgil and
Ovid. Most of the authors during this period wrote distinctly political texts. Even
those who wrote plays and poems were in some way politically active or funded
by political sources. Authors also spent time writing essays criticizing other
literary works, making understanding the ins and outs of some literary works
difficult.

 Satire Fiction: Robinson Crosoe (Daniel Defoe)

Robinson Crusoe seems to be a legend because of his amazing adventures for

36 years. The writer, Daniel Defoe, created this novel after getting inspiration
from the life story of Alexander Selkirk, an adventurer who was stranded on an
island in the Pacific Ocean and survived for four years. This novel was first
published in 1719 and is set in 1651-1687.

This novel tells the story of Robinson Crusoe, an Englishman who has a great
desire to see the outside world. When a friend offered him to go sailing, he
didn't have to think long to accept. Robinson left his parents—who didn't let
him go—and started his adventure. The first time he sailed, Robinson had
vowed to return to England and would not sail again. However, as time goes by,
he begins to enjoy his adventures. Throughout his "escape", Robinson had
become a slave, captain, plantation head, until he was stranded alone on an
uninhabited island.

The uniqueness of this novel's story lies in the way of telling that uses the first
person point of view, making the reader of this novel feel as if reading a travel
diary. The style of language used is also very simple, making this novel
enjoyable not only for adults, but also for teenagers who love adventure stories.

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Robinson Crusoe - Key takeaways

 First published in 1719 by Daniel Defoe, The Life and Adventures of

Robinson Crusoe is widely credited as the first English adventure novel.

 The novel tells the life story of a young British man who sets off to
become a sailor merchant but is marooned on an uninhabited island after a
series of misadventures.

 He discovers eventually that the island is visited by local cannibals,

escapes after 28 years on the island, and finds out that he has become rich
when he returns to England.

 A key theme in Robinson Crusoe is the place of religion in human affairs,

with Robinson Crusoe's biography intended to illustrate the existence of a
benevolent and all-powerful God.

 Robinson Crusoe also deals with fascinating themes such as the power of
the individual, the development of civilization and colonialism, among
others.

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 CHAPTER III
CONCLUSION

1. Conclusion
Literary developments during the civil war, Commonwealth and Restoration
periods were marked by intrigue between the roundheads and the cavaliers or
royalists. This period produced several types of poetry including metaphysical
poetry, cavalier poetry, and roundhead poetry or pastoral poetry.

In metaphysical poetry, poetry writing places more emphasis on the use of

excessive figurative words or hyperbole. In the flow or style of writing this poem
also relies more on thoughts than feelings. However, the famous poet in this
metaphysical poem wrote more about love. The famous poet in this poem is John
Donne.

Cavalier's poetry is colored with the life or daily habits of the supporters of
Charles I or the royalists. Their habit is to enjoy life which they think will be
temporary, so it must be enjoyed before it ends. The famous poet in this poem is
Robert Herrick.

In roundheads or pastoral poetry, the emphasis is on idealism and criticism. The

famous poet in this poem is John Milton.

During the restoration period, prose was more prominent, especially during the
Augustan period, when printing began to appear. The most famous work of the
Augustan era is the Novel Robinson, written by Daniel Defoe and credited as the
first English novel.

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 REFERENCES

Baldwin, E., (2021, June 14). Augustan Age. Poem Analysis. Retrieved from
https://poemanalysis.com/movement/augustan-age/
GradeSaver “L ’ Allegro Bibliography”. GradeSaver, 3 April 2023. Web. 3 April
2023
Montalvo, Jessica. “Robinson Crusoe Bibliography”. GradeSaver, 24 June 2000
Web. 3 April 2023
Suharno. (2014). Introduction to English Literature. Tangerang: Penerbit
Universitas Terbuka.
-. (-, - -). Robinson Crusoe. Retrieved from StudySmarter:
https://www.studysmarter.co.uk/explanations/english-literature/american-
literature/robinson-crusoe/
-. (-, - -). The Argument of His Book Summary and Study Guide. Retrieved from
SuperSummary: https://www.supersummary.com/the-argument-of-his-
book/summary/
-. (-, - -). The Argument Of His Book: Poem by Robert Herrick. Retrieved from
Key To Poetry: https://keytopoetry.com/robert-herrick/poems/the-
argument-of-his-book/
-. (-, - -). The Restoration. Retrieved from Britannica:
https://www.britannica.com/art/English-literature/The-Restoration

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